G. Marimuthu (1967-2023) was an Indian film director and actor who worked mostly in the Tamil film industry. He is best known for playing the role of Aadhimuthu Gunasekaran in the Tamil TV series Ethirneechal (2022) on Sun TV. He died of a heart attack in Chennai on 8 September 2023 while dubbing for Ethirneechal.
Wiki/Biography
G. Marimuthu was born on Wednesday, 12 July 1967 (age 56 years; at death) in Varusanadu village in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He belongs to a farming family. Marimuthu decided to venture into the entertainment industry by watching Ilaiyaraaja (musician), Bharathiraja (director), and Vairamuthu (lyricist), all hailing from Theni district, establish themselves in Tamil Cinema. In 1990, he left his hometown Pasumalaitheri in Theni and moved to Chennai with just Rs 200 in his pocket to become a film director. In the beginning, he carried out various side jobs such as working as a waiter in a hotel. Soon, he met lyricist Vairamuthu and started working for him.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 10″
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Not much is known about his parents and siblings.
Wife & Children
His wife’s name is M. Bagiyalakshmi. They were married for 27 years before he passed away in 2023. Together, they were blessed with two children, a son named Akhilan and a daughter named Aishwarya.
G. Marimuthu with his wife and children
Career
Tamil language
Early in his career, Marimuthu would reply to letters Vairamuthu received from his fans. Eventually, he got the chance to work as an assistant director working with Rajkiran in films like Aranmanai Kili (1993) and Ellame En Rasathan (1995). After that, he worked as an assistant director with Mani Ratnam, Vasanth, Rajiv Menon, and SJ Suryah. She worked with Vasant for the films Nerrukku Ner (1997), Poovellam Kettuppar (1999) and Rhythm (2000). He worked on the film Panchalankurichi (1996) directed by Seeman. He worked under SJ Suryah for the films New (2001), Khushi (2003), and Anbe Aaruyire (2005). He also worked on Rajiv Menon’s Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Mani Ratnam’s Bombay (1995) and Iruvar. He co-directed on Silambarasan’s Manmadhan (2004).
As Director
G. Marimuthu made his directorial debut with Kannum Kannum (2008), a romantic film starring Prasanna and Udhayathara. He also wrote the film’s story, screenplay, and dialogue. The film had a lackluster performance at the box office but caught the attention of critics.
Poster of Tamil movie Kannum Kannum (2008) directed by G. Marimuthu
Another Tamil film directed by him is Pulivaal (2014).
As an Actor
Movie
In 1999, she made her film debut with a small role in Vaali.
Vaali (1999) Tamil movie poster
After another small role in Udhaya (2004), she started appearing in supporting roles in Tamil films in the 2010s. He gained recognition with Yuddham Sei (2011) in which he played the role of a corruption inspector named Isakki Muthu. He was highly appreciated for his role in Yuddham Sei (2011) which led him to play the role of a police officer in the Tamil films Aarohanam (2012), Nimirndhu Nil (2014), and Komban (2015).
G. Marimuthu as a police officer in a Tamil film
He played the role of Bhagyam’s father in the action drama film Marudhu (2016) and the role of a doctor in the action crime film Vada Chennai (2018). Other Tamil films under his belt include Kodi (2016), Kaththi Sandal (2016), Bairavaa (2017), Kadaikutty Singam (2018), Pariyerum Perumal (2018), and Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum (2021).
G. Marimuthu as Sri Ram, Jo’s father in Pariyerum Perumal (2018)
In the action comedy film Jailer (2023), starring Rajinikanth, Marimuthu played the role of Panneer. His last featured film released before his death was Red Sandal Wood (2023). His films Indian 2 and Thookudurai were in post-production at the time of his death in 2023. Besides, he was shooting for Atharva and Oththa Votu Muthaiya.
TV Shows and Web Series
Various web series under his belt include MSD (2019), Kuruthi Kalam (2021), and Tamil Rockerz (2022). In 2022, he made his television debut as Aadhimuthu Gunasekaran in the Tamil TV show Ethirneechal on Sun TV. In the show, Aadhimuthu Gunasekaran’s antagonist is a business tycoon from Madurai. Marimuthu gained popularity for playing the role. The show follows Janani, a determined and successful woman who faces traditional gender expectations in her husband’s family, and her efforts to ensure that other women are not oppressed.
G. Marimuthu as Aadhimuthu Gunasekaran in the Tamil TV show Ethirneechal
Other languages
In 2014, he appeared in the French psychological drama film Son épouse as a businessman.
In 2020, he appeared in the Malayalam action thriller Shylock in which he played the role of Chithappa.
Shylock (2020)
In 2021, he made his Bollywood debut with Atrangi Re in which he played the role of Mandy’s father.
A still from Atrangi Re (2021) featuring G. Marimuthu as Mandy’s father
Controversy
Criticized for Sexist Comments on the #MeToo Movement
In 2018, G Marimuthu came under fire for her sexist comments on the #MeToo movement. In an interview, Marimuthu argued in favor of his long-time associate and noted lyricist Vairamuthu, who has been accused of harassment by several women. A video clip of the controversial interview went viral on the internet where he said,
He (Vairamuthu) called a girl to his room. What is wrong with that? Let him call the girl he likes, and let the girl go to him if they like him too. If not, they will go to the media. Let them go.”
In addition, he strengthened his argument by saying,
Isn’t he a man? Even she has hormones, right? He would also have the desire to sleep with a woman, right? So he approached a woman and she told others. Vairamuthu has to persevere with it…In three days, people will forget about it and they will start discussing other problems. This is what will happen.”
During the interview, he also offended the LGBT community by saying,
I don’t think this is a setback for the poet (Vairamuthu). He just called a girl to his room, right? It would be a shame if she called a man to her room.”
Death
On September 8, 2023, G. Marimuthu died of a heart attack in Chennai. The news was confirmed by Film trade analyst and industry insider Ramesh Bala on X (formerly known as Twitter). He collapsed around 8.30 am while dubbing for his TV serial Ethirneechal in Chennai. He was rushed to the nearby Sooriya Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Facts/Trivia
- In an interview, G. Marimuthu revealed that his character in the TV series Ethirneechal was inspired from a true story. Director V. Thiruselvam comes up with the character of Aadhimuthu Gunasekaran as he travels in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. There, he meets someone who is suffering and tells his life story to V. Thiruselvam, who turns him into a character.
- In an interview, Marimuthu talked about the difficulties he faced at the beginning of his career. He shared that he once lived on only water and pickles for three days because he did not have enough money to pay for his daily needs. He got financial support from his friends, but they were all out of town for Diwali celebrations at that time. His health deteriorated significantly on the fourth day of the orange diet, and he developed diarrhea. His neighbors saw him in this sad state and took him to a nearby hospital.
- He won an award in the Favorite Villan category for his role in the TV show Ethirneechal (2022).
G. Marimuthu poses with the award
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
